Inflatable toy simulating space station and ship

ABSTRACT

AN AERIAL TOY SIMULATING A SPACE STATION IN A SPACE SHIP. THE SPACE STATION ELEMENT IS INFALTED WITH A LIGHTER THAN AIR GAS AND SECURED TO THE GROUND BY MEANS OF GUIDE STRINGS. A SHIP ELEMENT HAS TWO RINGS SITUATED THEREON, ONE NEAR THE NOSE AND ONE NEAR THE BASE OF THE UNIT, ONE OF THE TIE-LINES PASSING THROUGH THE RINGS, AND CONTROL STRING BEING ATTACHED TO THE BASE OF THE SHIP. UPON RELEASING THE GUIDE STRING, THE LIGHTER THAN AIR SPACE SHIP WILL RAISE UPWARDLY, BEING DIRECTED ALONG THE TIE-LINE BY THE RINGS TO THE SPACE SHIP, PULLING ON THE CONTROL STRING WILL REVERSE THE ASCENT OF THE SHIP.

Sept. 20, 1971 A. DALLI 3,605,329

INFLATABLE TOY SIMULATING SPACE STATION AND SHIP Filed Aug. 5, 1970 United States Patent "015cc 3,605,329 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 US. C]. 46-87 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An aerial toy simulating a space station in a space ship. The space station element is inflated with a lighter than air gas and secured to the ground by means of guide strings. A ship element has two rings situated thereon, one near the nose and one near the base of the unit, one of the tie-lines passing through the rings, and a control string being attached to the base of the ship. Upon releasing the guide string, the lighter than air space ship will rise upwardly, being directed along the tie-line by the rings to the space ship; pulling on the control string will reverse the ascent of the ship.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a toy, and more particularly to lighter than air elements simulating a space station and space ships.

In the past it has been known to use lighter than air elements in toys, for the purpose of supporting launched elements, such as gliders, to carry elements and just to be maintained in various positions to give a more realistic effect.

However, none of the prior art toys provided for the actual utilation of a simulated space station receiving either support ships or true space ships in a realistic manner.

Accordingly, it is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an aerial toy which simulates a space station and a space ship, providing means to maintain the space station in an elevated position above the ground, and further means for controlling the essential ascent and descent of the space ship by an operator on the ground.

Another object of the present invention is to provide guidance means for insuring the ascent of the space ship directly to the space station and controlled descent therefrom.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an aerial toy which may be easily fabricated in a variety of desireable forms.

Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide an aerial toy which is very simple to operate.

Still yet a further object of the present invention is'to provide an aerial toy of the character described which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and yet be durable to a high degree in use.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Basically, the invention consists of at least two lighter than air elements. The first element is in the form of a space station and the design thereof is only limited by the imagination and the expense involved in fabricating a variety of shapes. The space station may contain at least one or a plurality of rings to which are secured guide lines which in turn are secured to the eyes of stakes or pegs positioned in the ground. In addition, a second lighter than air element simulating any type of space ship and containing at least one guide ring secured to the side thereof may be so positioned as the guideline passes through the ring. A control string is attached to the base of the space ship and held by an operator. When the operator releases the tension on the control string, the space ship element will rise being guided along the tie-line via the ring directly to the space ship element. The procedure can be easily reversed by pulling on the control string and causing a descent of the space ship.

The above description and objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the aerial toy embodying the invention showing a plurality of space ships in various positions of ascent and descent; and

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective used similar to FIG. 1 showing the frontmost space ship element after descent.

Turning to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown an aerial toy, broadly comprising a space station 11 and a space ship 14.

The space station 11 may be any desirable shape such as will suggest a space station and which will be acceptable. The space station should be designed of such material that it can be inflated with a lighter than air substance, such as helium gas. Acceptable materials include elastic rubber or plastic, or any such material that will be impervious to the gas and willassume the desired shape. Furthermore, it should be durable so as to last and light enough to float on the air.

As part of the design of the spacestation, at least one, and preferably, a plurality of ringlets or eyelets 16 are secured along the lower base 18 of the space station. A series of guidelines 20 are secured to the eyelets and further secured to eyelets 22 of stakes or pins 24 which are wedged into the ground in the well known manner. These cords should also be made of a strong yet light material, such as nylon cord.

The space ship element 14 may also be constructed of the same material as the space station so as to be inflated 'with a lighter than air substance, such as helium gas. The space ship has at least one ringlet 26 secured to its side in a central location, although preferably there should be two ringlets to assure better stability. In addition the space ship has an additional ringlet 28 on the base 30 of the space ship, to which is secured a control line. The control line is made of the same material as the guidelines, and should also be long enough to reach from the ground to the space station. The control line is held by the operator 34.

In operation the space station first is inflated with the lighter than air substance. Instead of the whole space station being inflated, it may simply have a single compartment to receive the gaseous substance; as the resultant unit has a lighter than air displacement. After the space station is completely inflated, the guidelines 20 are knotted to the eyelets 16,

The space ship elements are then inflated to also assume a lighter than air configuration. The line 20 is then passed through the eyelet 26 or the plurality of eyelets in accordance with the configuration of the ship. The control line 32 is then secured to the eyelet 28. The opposite end of the line 20 is then tied to the eyelet 22 of the stake 24 which is then driven into the ground. Alternatively, the lines 20 may be directly secured to the eyelets 22 and secured to the ground and there can be separate lines for the space ships to be guided upon in addition to the guide or tie-lines. Furthermore, there may be ringlets on opposite sides of the space ship requiring dual guidelines passing from the space station to the ground and along which the space ship may travel. Under these circumstances the staking in the ground of these tie-lines is a matter of careful measurement.

When everything is completed, and the play commences the operator 34 may release the control line 32 allowing the space ship to ascend along the line 20 to the space ship where further movement will be stopped by either the top of the space ship abutting against the base 18 of the space station or by the ringlets 26 leading to base 18. To accomplish descent the operator 34 simpl pulls on the string 32 causing the space ship to descend to the ground.

There may be a plurality of space ships travelling to and from the space station as desired.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved aerial toy for use in space age styled games comprising:

(a) an element simulating a space station, a gas containing compartment within said element for holding a lighter-than-air substance, said element accordingly having a lighter-than-air displacement when appropriately inflated;

(b) a second element simulating a space ship, a gas containing compartment within said element for holding a lighter-than-air substance, said element accordingly having a lighter-than-air displacement when appropriately inflated;

(c) a tie line, means on said first element for securing said tie line thereto, means for securing said tie line to a base;

(d) apertured means afiixed to said space ship, said tie line passing therethrough, said apertured means and tie line being arranged to cause said space ship to be guided to said space station upon ascent,

(e) said space station being constructed to have sulficient buoyancy to support said tie line in the air and said space ship being constructed to have sufficient buoyancy to ascend said tie line.

2. The invention according to claim 1, said apertured means comprising a plurality of eyelet means afiixed to said space ship elements, aligned with each other and receiving said tie line.

3. The invention according to claim 2, a control line, means on said space ship for securement of the control line thereto, release of the control line allowing ascent of the space ship element, and a force thereon causing descent.

4. The invention according to claim 1, a plurality of tie lines securing the space ship element to a base.

5. The invention according to claim 4, a plurality of Tpace ship elements travelling along the plurality of tie mes.

6. The invention according to claim 2, said plurality of eyelet means including oppositely disposed eyelet means, each of said oppositely disposed eyelet means receiving a tie line.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,374,627 4/ 1945 Strong 2726X 2,701,935 2/1955 Florence 24433X 3,041,779 7/1962 Carter et a1. 4674R 3,062,488 11/1962 Sulger 244 3,260,017 7/1966 Wolfe 4689X 3,361,387 1/1968 Struble, Jr. 24433 F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

